A viewing ceremony was held in Anchorage on Wednesday for respected Ahtna elder Katie John, following her death May 31 at age 97.
John was known nationwide for her fight against the State of Alaska to protect subsistence rights for Alaska Natives. She is still celebrated across the state for her commitment to preserving her traditional culture and language.
Her great-grandson, Arthur Stevens, said she did great things for Natives not only as a defender of subsistence, but also as a friend and leader of the Ahtna people.
"She was the backbone of our family, and she still will be. Even though she's gone she will still be the backbone of our family," Stevens said. "We will never forget what she taught us."
Wednesday's service, at the Anchorage Baptist Temple at 6401 E. Northern Lights Blvd., was attended by four generations of her descendants, extending to her great-great-grandchildren.
John's son, Fred John Jr., says his mother was a generous woman who fed people who needed help.
"She's been a giver all her life and with her old age, it seems like the giving all her life, it finally made a big circle and it came back to her," Fred John said. "And people sent food from up in Barrow, down in Cordova -- you know, fresh salmon, they come in -- and she's well supplied toward the end of her life."
A funeral service for Katie John will be held in her home village of Mentasta Saturday at 1 p.m.
Contact Dan Carpenter